USING COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES IN THE
ACHIEVEMENT OF SPEAKING SKILLS IN A MUET CLASS
BAGAVATHI A/P KOTHANDABHANY
A project report submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of Degree of Masters of Education
(TESL)
Faculty of Education
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
MAY 2011
DEDICATION
To my beloved late parents
And to my siblings for their support and encouragement.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This study would not have been possible without the help of several people. I wish to
extend my sincere appreciation to them in helping me complete this project.
First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Dr
Adlina bt Abdul Samad. No amount of words of gratitude will suffice for her
painstaking efforts in guiding me to complete this thesis. Her sincere and constructive
criticism has helped me to improve the quality of this research a great deal. Thank you
for having faith in me.
My sincere thanks to my siblings and friends for their support, words of
encouragement and for being there. To all others who have assisted in any way, I
express my sincere gratitude.
May God Bless You All
ABSTRACT
With the introduction of the Malaysian University English Test, there is a heavy demand
on teachers to use different strategies in class sessions to improve students’ speaking
skills. This study was conducted in order to investigate how the use of cooperative
learning strategies promoted and improved the use of selected speaking skills among
Form Six students in a secondary school. The study was also conducted to find out the
perceptions of the students in using cooperative learning in language acquisition. Using
audio-recordings and an interview, the data was collected from 16 Form Six students.
The findings of the study revealed that cooperative learning strategies increased the use
of the speaking skills among students and students found it useful in language
acquisition. From the audio-recordings and analysis of transcripts, cooperative learning
behavior prevailed among members in the group. There was peer group support and
encouragement to generate discussion among members. During group discussions
students of heterogeneous language proficiency interacted by using various verbal
strategies to ask for and provide information, seek and provide clarification and also to
express opinions based on sub-topics given. Strategies used also revealed that students
of higher language proficiency prompted the lower proficiency members to interact in
group discussions by prompting and providing cues.
Hence, through dynamic
interaction in group discussions, elements of cooperative learning such as positive
interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability and social skills
were enhanced which led to an increase in the use of speaking skills among the Sixth
Formers. The results of the interview also indicated that students prefer to participate in
cooperative learning activities for language acquisition. Lastly, the researcher discusses
pedagogical implications and suggests recommendations for future research
ABSTRAK
Kajian kes ini yang melibatkan 16 orang pelajar Tingkatan 6 bertujuan melihat samada
penggunaan strategi pembelajaran koperatif boleh meningkatkan kemampuan pelajarpelajar tersebut dalam penguasaan kemahiran lisan dalam komponen lisan Malaysian
University English Test (MUET). Kajian ini juga dijalankan untuk mengetahui persepsi
pelajar Tingkatan 6 dalam menggunakan pembelajaran kooperatif dalam Bahasa
Inggeris. Dua kaedah digunakan untuk mendapatkan data: audio rakaman dan temubual.
Penemuan kajian menunjukkan bahawa strategi pembelajaran kooperatif meningkatkan
penggunaan kemahiran lisan pelajar. Pelajar juga lebih minat pada penggunaan strategi
pembelajaran kooperatif dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran bahasa. Dari rakaman
audio and analisis transkrip, didapati bahawa perilaku pembelajaran koperatif berlaku di
antara ahli dalam kumpulan. Sokongan and dorongan kumpulan sebaya wujud untuk
menghasilkan perbincangan dan interaksi antara ahli. Pelajar berinteraksi dengan satu
sama lain dalam kumpulan dengan menggunakan pelbagai strategi lisan untuk meminta
dan memberi maklumat, bertanya dan memberikan penjelasan dan juga untuk
mengekspresikan pendapat berdasarkan sub-topik yang di berikan. Strategi yang
digunakan juga menunjukkan bahawa pelajar yang lebih profisyen lebih mendorong ahli
yang kurang profisien melalui dorongan dan isyarat. Oleh itu, interaksi menjadi lebih
dinamik dalam perbincangan kumpulan yang mana elemen-elemen dari pembelajaran
koperatif
seperti
saling pergantungan yang
bersifat
akauntabiliti individu dan kemahiran sosial bertambah
pertuturan dikalangan pelajar Tingkatan Enam.
positif, interaksi
bersemuka,
yang meningkatkan kemahiran
Hasil dapatan
temubual juga
menunjukkan bahawa pelajar lebih berminat untuk menyertai aktiviti pembelajaran
koperatif. Akhir sekali, penyelidik juga membincangkan implikasi pedagogi dan
memberi beberapa cadangan untuk kajian masa depan.